Rewriting Time
by Ella Press
Summary: What if the Doctor can save Rose before her parallel-universe-father comes and steals her away? 10th Doctor/Rose meets 11th Doctor/Rose and Amy/Rory! Rated M for future chapters.
1. Preface

**For my Argentine Whovians. (**_**Thanks Victoria!)**_

**Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who and co. This is what I wished had happened at the end of Doomsday. **

**Preface**

He was holding on to the magnetic clamp for dear life, his Rose metres away. He wanted nothing more than to grab her and transport her to safety right away, but that was impossible, at least until the breach was closed. He knew she knew what closing the breach meant –she'd given up the chance to be with her family, knowing full well that she'd never be able to go back to them again, just to be with him- and that made his hearts ache with love for her, a love so intense it frightened him.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the lever on Rose's side begin to slip, and then he caught her gaze. He knew full well what she was going to do, but he had no way of stopping her.

"Rose, NO!" the Doctor yelled, but it was already too late.

Rose let go of the clamp and grabbed hold of the lever instead, pushing it back to close the breach. But her grip wasn't firm, and the pull was too strong. She looked at him, a look full of meaning, of things never said, as the void pulled her into nothingness.

"ROSE!" the Doctor shouted, tears running down his face.

But just as he thought he would never see his Rose again, something happened. Captain Jack Harkness appeared in the middle of the breach and grabbed an oncoming Rose with all his might, only to disappear with her, just as if the void had actually sucked them up.

But the Doctor knew better. His hearts calmed down a bit as the breach was closed for good.


	2. Chapter 1

**These first chapters will be short, because I'm merely setting the story. As I post more, the chapters will get longer, and more intense. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who, though I'd love to have a Doctor of my own **

**Chapter One**

**Tenth Doctor**

_Where were they? Where had they gone? What was Jack doing there?_

All of these questions and more danced in the Doctor's mind as he probed the air where Jack and Rose had just disappeared with his sonic screwdriver. The tool buzzed in his hand right in the centre of the place where Jack had materialised. The air smelled of something familiar…

His hearts leapt as he understood what had just happened.

"Of course, how could I have missed it!" he shouted at no one in particular, bouncing and throwing fists into the air. A huge smile appeared on his face, and the thought of seeing his Rose again lifted his spirits.

He knew just where to find her.

He ran back to his TARDIS as fast as he could, his legs used to the effort. He saw her from afar, where he'd parked her, and his smile grew even bigger. When he reached her, he yanked the door open and ran inside.

His hearts filled with gratitude towards Jack, towards the universe, and towards time travel. Because there, sitting on the captain's chair, was his Rose.

She lifted her face to meet his, her eyes lit up and a smile appeared on her beautiful lips.

"Rose," the Doctor whispered, giving a few weak steps towards her. She ran to his side, and caught him in her arms just as he fell to his knees. Both of them now on the floor, he hugged her fiercely, never wanting to let go.

"I missed you too," she told him in his ear. He couldn't help but to smile into her hair.

Then the Doctor saw Jack, leaning against the controls, smiling brightly at him.

"Thank you, Jack," the Doctor said.

"It was all your idea, but I'm happy I could help." He held up his left wrist, showing the Doctor his vortex manipulator device.

Rose broke their embrace, but only slightly, and looked at the Doctor in the eyes.

"He told me what happened," she said. "That your future self asked him to come back and save me." Yes, he'd figured that one out a long time ago. "We're re-writing time, aren't we?"

Her troubled expression scared him, but he knew better than to lie to her. "Yes, we are," he told her.

"And is that okay? Won't there be any repercussions in the universe?"

It was Jack whom replied. "There will be, but I'm sure you two can sort them out.

_Aaanyway_, I think the two of you have things to discuss, so I'll be on my way now."

"Hold on, we still have to talk about what happened, I'm still a little confused," Rose said.

"Oh, I won't be gone long, I miss having adventures with you two. I'll be back before you can say 'Geronimo!'"

"_Geronimo_?" the Doctor asked.

"Long story. See you later," Jack said, as he opened the TARDIS's door and left them alone.

The Doctor was still thinking about what Jack had just said, without realising that he was still holding Rose. She brought him out of his reverie.

"I really thought I'd never see you again," she said, tears falling down her cheeks.

That look was something he never wanted to see on her face again. He just wanted her to be happy, and he wanted to be with her. Not like they were now, but _really be with her_. He'd often fantasised about telling her how much he loved her, but had refrained himself because he knew that would be his downfall. What if something like what they had just experienced ever happened again, and that time, Rose really was lost? And then there was the aging problem. He knew she'd have no problem aging while he stayed the same, probably even regenerated again while being with her, but she'd die eventually, and then what?

But now, after having almost lost her forever, he knew there was nothing else he could do but kiss her.

And he did, passionately. He put everything he'd never said into that one kiss, his arms –already around her- pulled them even closer together. She returned the kiss with just as much passion as him, her hands grabbing handfuls of his hair, bringing his face closer still. They couldn't breathe, but they didn't mind. Their tongues clashed against each other, and it was the best feeling in the world for them both. Rose gently nibbled his lower lip, and a moan of pleasure escaped from his lips. He started kissing her neck, inhaling her scent, storing it in his heart and his mind forever.

"I love you, Rose Tyler," he said into her ear, ever so softly.

She grabbed his head and made him look at her, as she said, "I love you too, my Doctor."

A grin spread across his face, and he was sure it would never fade. At last, he'd found the nerve to tell her the truth, and he would do all it took to make their forever possible.


	3. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who. You know the rest.**

**Chapter Two**

**Eleventh Doctor**

_What's done is done, _thought the Doctor, readjusting his bowtie. Jack had left mere minutes ago, off to do what the Doctor had instructed him. They'd had an argument for hours, going over what could go wrong if they succeeded in what they had set out to do.

Finding Jack had been easy, but getting him to agree with his plan had proved to be harder than he'd thought.

Jack had understood the Doctor's need to see her again –hell, even he missed his friend sometimes-, but he knew that what the Doctor was asking of him would have huge repercussions.

At last, the Doctor won the argument, saying that if things got ugly, Jack could always go back and undo what he'd done.

Sighing, Jack had set the coordinates into his vortex manipulator and disappeared to save Rose before her parallel-universe-father could beat him to it.

The TARDIS was quiet, waiting for things to unravel. Until at last, the Doctor started remembering.

Memories of his beloved Rose filled his brain, and they were the happiest of memories. He remembered Jack saving her from falling into the void, remembered telling her he loved her and how she'd told him she loved him back. He remembered spending the last two and a half years with her, sometimes with Donna, and now with Amy and Rory.

Rose was back in his mind, like she'd always been, but it seemed she was also back in his life.

His hearts beat with excitement (surely everything was fine, they hadn't provoked the end of the universe by bringing her back, he'd know if they had), and he couldn't wait to see her.

His Rose. Back with him, loving him.

The TARDIS started singing a happy song, and the Doctor couldn't help but to grin like a fool. For he was feeling something, something he hadn't felt in a long time.

She was here, in the TARDIS.

"ROSE!" he yelled. He ran to where he knew he'd find her, feeling her presence getting stronger with every step he took. He turned corners and went down long hallways, until he reached his room.

And there she was, half asleep, stirring in his bed.

_Their bed, _the TARDIS told him. Their bed, indeed.

Rose moaned and opened her eyes the tiniest bit. She stretched and smiled up at him. "Morning," she said.

His eyes were huge, and he was rooted to the floor. Could this be just a trick from his TARDIS? She knew how much the Doctor missed his Rose, and she missed her too, so maybe she was making this up for him?

A framed photo went flying at him, straight towards his face. _Sorry, _he thought. He hadn't meant to upset his ship. He took the frame and looked at it. It was a photo of him, Rose and Donna, all smiling and looking as if there was no danger in the universe. He recognised the golden mountains of Latrios IV in the background.

"What did you do to upset the TARDIS?" Rose asked. She was now sitting on the bed, the silken camisole she wore giving her the look of a goddess, he thought. The Doctor ran to her side, plopped down on the bed, and embraced her with all his might, fearing she'd vanish after a few minutes. But deep down, he knew she wouldn't, and that was the best feeling in the world.

"Thank you. What was that for?" she asked him.

"Just because," he said. His eyes roamed her face, her body, a hungry expression on his face. "It's so nice to have you here. I love you, you know that, right? More than anything." He was holding her shoulders and looking into her eyes intensely.

His hearts beat furiously, while she looked just as happy and calm as always.

"Relax, I'm here, aren't I? And I'm not planning on going anywhere."

She kissed him sweetly and rested her hand on his cheek.

"Jack was just here, wasn't he? You've sent him to save me."

How could she know that?

"What- how?" he began, but she just laughed. Oh, how he'd missed that laugh, the way she bit her tongue while smiling. It was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen.

"My silly Doctor. I've loved you and been with you for years. The TARDIS loves me too, just as I love her. She taught me some things. I felt the shift in the air, the smell Jack's vortex device leaves behind. I _was _there, remember? Two years ago, when Jack came? I remember. I knew it'd be today."

He had no words. His eyes grew even bigger, if that was possible. Rose was still caressing his face, and the Doctor lifted his hand to place it over hers, closing his eyes as she kissed him again.

This time, it wasn't a sweet kiss. It was so much more.

Yes, he had the memories that meant they'd been together for the last two years, but he still remembered not having her, and feeling an emptiness to match the loss of his people. Sometimes her loss was even greater, because she'd always been there to lift his mood, to say and ask the right things, and she was always up for a new adventure, so not having her had been one of the hardest things he'd been through.

He poured his hearts and soul into that kiss.

Rose leaned back on the bed, and pulled him with her. The connection between them was as stronger as it had never been. He could feel her mind; feel how much she wanted him, how much she loved him.

He didn't deserve her. But he'd do his best to be the best man he could for her.


	4. Chapter 3

**Hi everyone, thanks so much for the initial support! Love ****makes a writer want to keep going, so please review! **

**Music ****24301: You got waaay ahead of things. Wait and read this!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who, the BBC does. Bad times.**

**Chapter Three**

**Tenth Doctor**

"I wonder what changed," said Rose.

They were having a cup of tea in the kitchen of the TARDIS; Rose was sitting on the Doctor's lap because he couldn't bear not to be touching her. To them, it felt like something natural, sitting like that. Their bodies fitted together like puzzle pieces.

"Hmm?" he asked. He was still marvelling over what a great feeling it was to have her closer than ever before, and concentrating on what was being said was proving to be a difficult task.

"Well, we must have changed the future. I wonder what would have happened if you hadn't told Jack to come and save me."

"Oh, well, that's something only the future me knows. We never will, because it never happened."

"But, we'll be fine, right? Nothing's gonna come and take me away because we've broken the rules?"

The Doctor looked at his Rose with a loving expression, but deep inside he was hiding thoughts like the one she'd just voiced.

"If something does come and tries to take you away from me, then they'd better watch it." He cupped her face in his hands, and felt his soul soar, as Rose closed her eyes and a beautiful, calm, lovely expression appeared on her features. The Doctor wanted to make sure Rose knew how much he really loved her, so he'd been telling her exactly that for the past three hours.

"Well, if it isn't the two love birds."

"Hi, Jack," Rose said. She turned to look at him; the Doctor let his hands fall to her lap, and he coughed, while bringing a hand up to ruffle his hair. "How was your trip?" she asked, laughing quietly at her Doctor's sudden embarrassment.

"Good, good. Visited some people I haven't seen in a while, ate Earth food. It was nice, but I think I'm ready to move on to something new.

So, where are we going now?" he said, clapping his hands together and grinning like he always did when he was excited.

"I figured we could go someplace quiet for a change," said the Doctor.

"What, somewhere boring?" asked Rose.

"No, not boring, just… not dangerous."

Rose smiled sweetly at him, and placed a little kiss on his lips. The Doctor blushed (he wasn't used to public displays of affection), and he felt Rose's mind. He actually _felt _her communicating with him, or at least trying to, she couldn't know that what she was doing was working. She was letting him know that everything would be okay, but how was that even possible? He'd always been able to feel her, but now it was her whom was reaching out to him. It was like she was focusing on directing her thoughts to him, so he could read them. It was extraordinary.

The Doctor jumped in his chair, his hearts beating excitedly. Their eyes focused on each other, she repeated the thought, and it got to him louder and clearer.

"We can go wherever you want. S'fine by me, as long as you're there," Rose said.

A rush of lust went over him, he was suddenly very much aware of her gorgeous body sitting on him, and he wanted to love her right then and there.

But Jack was there, so he had to refrain himself. And also, he didn't want their first time to be in the TARDIS's kitchen. He settled for one kiss, and grabbed Rose by the waist, to lift her off of him before it was too late.

Rose loved watching the Doctor run about the control room of the TARDIS, hitting buttons here and there, and pulling levers up and down. Sometimes she wished she could help him, so she made a mental note to ask him to teach her to use some things in the ship. He'd told her a TARDIS was meant to be piloted by six people, but here, it was only him. Perhaps if she could help him, things would be handled more easily, and she wouldn't have to count how many new bruises she had when she took a shower.

"Doctor?" she said. Now was as good as any other time, right?

"Yes, Rose?" said the Doctor. He was entering some numbers into the console; strange symbols came up on the screen, and Rose wondered what they could mean.

"Can I help you with anything?"

He stopped what he was doing and looked at her, his eyes big and his smile even bigger.

"You want to help me pilot it?"

She laughed at him and blushed. "Um… yeah. If you don't mind," she told him, looking up through her eyelashes.

"Come here," he said, holding out his hand to her.

He started showing her all the different buttons and levers, the screens and their numbers and symbols (which he explained were all Gallifreyan words), all the while feeling his love for this woman reach unprecedented levels. He loved the way her face scrunched up when she concentrated on what he told her, knew she was doing her best to memorise everything, and he also knew she'd ask him the same questions tomorrow, but he didn't mind. The TARDIS didn't mind either, and whenever Rose hit something she shouldn't have, she didn't give her an electric shock like she gave the Doctor, but a tingling feeling, and she made the right button light up on the console so Rose would know what to hit next.

This connection between his ship and his Rose meant the world to the Doctor. If the TARDIS and Rose could start communicating like he could with his ship, it meant the ship loved Rose just as much as he did, and that she was more than willing to let her control it. It meant the TARDIS would help him in any way she could to keep Rose safe, and most importantly, here.

Jack was sitting on the captain's chair, minding his own business, thinking that maybe what they'd done wasn't such a disastrous thing. Perhaps he should go to the future –his present- and see how the Doctor and his newly found Rose were doing. Pressing buttons on his vortex manipulator, he strode over to the console, muttering coordinates under his breath. He didn't see an over-excited Rose coming, and before he knew it, his left hand was over the console's many buttons, lights flashing on and off everywhere. And a golden light wrapped around his wrist and connected it to the console.

"What's that?" Rose asked pointing to Jack's hand, just as the TARDIS started to shake under their feet, making the usual noises she made when she travelled.

The Doctor ran to them and tried to yank Jack's hand off of the console, but it was no use. It was like the hand was glued to it. The Doctor's eyes grew big, as he asked, shouting, "What coordinates did you enter?"

Trying to take his hand back, Jack said, "These same ones, a few years into the future."

"Were you going where I think you were going?"

"Yep."

"Oh, that's bad. Bad, bad, bad," the Doctor said, trying to hold on tighter as the ship turned left and back on to its axis.

"How is that bad?" asked Rose. She was sitting on the captain's chair, holding on to the railing after having fallen backwards onto it.

"Because if it were just the future we were going to," said Jack, "it wouldn't be a problem. But we're going to _this_ exact place, a couple of years forward in time, and the TARDIS is there."

"I'm not following," she shouted.

"It means we'll crash," the Doctor told her. His eyes were manic now, his head shaking back and forth. "We'll crash into the future TARDIS, and that is going to be a disaster! Time Lords can't travel within their own timelines; this will create a massive paradox the TARDIS won't be able to handle."

Weird noises could be heard over the ruckus in the ship. Noises not so familiar to the Doctor, who'd heard almost every sound in the universe. It was making him nervous and afraid for his beloved TARDIS. The ship responded the sentiment by sending a telepathic wave to him, telling him everything would work out fine. They'd been on so many adventures and through so many tight holes, why would they be defeated now?

After a few more bumps, the TARDIS settled down nicely, and everyone was able to loosen their fierce grip on the ship's railings and levers. Jack's hand was finally free, the glow around its wrist now gone.

The Doctor moved over to check something on the screen. Rose stood behind him, putting her hand over his shoulder. Unconsciously, he placed his own over hers, and continued working with his other free hand.

"Well?" Jack asked the Doctor. "We're alive, so that's good. Any damage? Anything dangerous out there?"

"No damage… yet," said the Doctor. He turned to face them with a frown on his face. "We can't leave, we're stuck here. This has never happened to me before.

Rose," he said firmly, "I don't want you to leave my side, no matter what you see out there, how familiar it all looks, not until we can figure out how to leave this place. This is not like any other trip we make, this is dangerous, you understand?"

"Yes, I do. I understand," she said, trying to smooth the lines of worry on his face with her right hand. He let out a sigh and rested his head on her hand.

"What do we do now?" asked Jack.

"Now? We go and ask my future self if he can help us get out of here. The TARDIS doesn't like this one bit."

Rose smiled and jumped on the spot. She was ready to run to the door, when she thought better.

"Can I open the door now?" she asked the Doctor.

He sighed heavily before saying, "Go on, open it."

With his permission, she ran and yanked the doors open, only to find herself –if a bit older-looking- beside a strange man in a bowtie.


	5. Chapter 4

**I'm having a really hard time writing this, my respect for the writers of the show is increasing with every word I write on this story. Time travelling is crazy as hell! **

**Of course, a lot of the things and terms you'll find here are made up by me, because I clearly didn't attend the Gallifrey Academy, even though I wish I had. But as the author of this story, I'm entitled to make up anything I want, even if it's so crazy it can't actually have an explanation. **

**Oh, and this story is set after the ending of Series 5. The Doctor is travelling alone because he's left Amy and Rory home, in England. You'll get where I'm going later on ;)**

**And as always: **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who, but I do own the New Who DVD collection, woo hoo! **

**Chapter Four**

**Eleventh Doctor**

Strange, loud noises woke Rose up and, without having to look over her shoulder, she knew the Doctor wouldn't be in bed with her, but in the console room, taking care of the TARDIS. She could feel the ship's distress in her mind, and silently asked her what was wrong. The ship didn't respond, but kept making shrill sounds, so she figured it was something bad. The shaking of the ship was getting harder by the second, and putting on her clothes was a real challenge for Rose. She put on what she had worn the previous day, and walked cautiously towards the console room.

The Doctor was running here and there, pushing buttons like his life depended on it. One false move and things could end up pretty badly.

He saw her coming, grabbing on to the railings so as not to fall face first onto the grating, and sighed in relief. At least she had not been an illusion. He'd feared she'd disappear ever since he'd gotten her back; he'd stayed awake all night just to make sure it was really her in bed beside him. Getting out of bed that morning had been a terrible thing for him, but the TARDIS had needed him, so he'd had to let Rose out of his sight and hope she'd still be there when everything was under control again.

"What's wrong with her?" asked Rose, once she was up on the main platform with him. He resumed his work of punching codes in the console and looking at the screen every once in a while.

"Someone's coming," he said. "It's forcing its way in here. The TARDIS can't push them out."

Rose let go of the railings and walked over to the Doctor's side, taking his hands away from the console and wrapping them with her own. Somehow, she managed to keep them both from falling over. Still, he wouldn't look at her, keeping his eyes glued to the ship's console's lights.

"It's all right, let them in. Don't you know who it is yet?" she said, taking his face into her hands.

The Doctor looked into her eyes and his hearts settled down.

Yes, he knew very well who it was, he could suddenly remember everything. And even though he feared the possibility of the paradox destroying his ship –both of them-, he knew Rose was right. It _would be_ all right, they were still here and he didn't remember anything wrong happening in his past. But of course, he knew more than anyone else that time could be rewritten. His mind was full of possibilities, it was making him dizzy. And his TARDIS being assaulted by her past self was giving him a massive headache, but he didn't even flinch. He didn't want to upset Rose.

Silly, really, because this woman knew him better than anyone, and she was more than able to read his expressions; she could even catch glimpses of his thoughts every once in a while thanks to the TARDIS. Still, she didn't mention this to him, and let him keep on thinking what he wanted.

Red and blue lights flickered on the console. The Doctor pulled a few levers, and the lights went still. They could hear a very familiar sound coming from the storage room.

He turned back to Rose and found her smiling, her eyes big with excitement.

"Come on," said Rose, as she pulled him by the hand.

When they got there, the TARDIS was already where they knew it'd be. Strange, he thought, to have a TARDIS _inside_ another –well, the same- TARDIS. He was still looking over his shoulder, trying to make sure no smoke was coming out of any nooks or holes. Rose tightened her grip on his hand, and his gaze went back to the old, familiar ship standing in front of him. He remembered how it looked like inside before it changed into what it was now, and couldn't believe he was able to see it again like that. The old console room was still in his TARDIS somewhere, but he almost never went back there because it was hard to see the place where he'd had such good times with people whom he had later lost. He'd met Rose, Jack and Donna with that ship, before everything changed and he met Amy and Rory.

"So many good memories," he muttered.

"Yeah," she said. "You're probably telling me to be careful out here, and I'm probably dying to get out."

"Always up for a new adventure, you are."

Rose giggled, and the Doctor realised this was the first time since she'd been back that she'd done that. It was a wonderful sound, almost musical.

The door of the old TARDIS brought him out of his thoughts. It was open, revealing a younger-looking Rose standing on the threshold.

Beside him, he could feel his Rose smiling at her younger self for being so confused about the man standing beside her. The way she was looking at him brought a pang to his chest. But of course she wouldn't recognise him; she still hadn't seen him regenerating into this new man.

On the other hand, Rose remembered what it had been like to see herself beside a tall bloke wearing a bowtie. _I'm feeling that right now, two years in the past, _she thought. It was a strange feeling, but it was so _her_ to be always questioning things.

The Doctor was tense and anxious. He was waiting to see his former regeneration appear on the door. It was a weird feeling for him as well, as he could remember everything as it happened in front of him. But his memories were now changed, as they belonged to his previous self, a man he'd changed forever.

And his Rose… oh, how beautiful she was. There was the Rose he remembered, the young and lively pink girl. The Rose standing beside him was just as beautiful, and he did share memories with her, but it was different, because he hadn't _lost_ her. She'd never know what it felt like to be apart from him, and for that, he was a little angry at her; jealous, even. There was something about having those memories about losing her that troubled him, but he couldn't quite put his finger on what it was.

Still, his eyes were fixated on her, as she looked at him with a curious expression on her face. Surely she was wondering who he was.

Rose could feel his anxiety, and understood what he was thinking. So she simply stood there, and let things as she remembered unravel themselves.

The Doctor's tenth regeneration walked up to stand behind Rose, who was still –quite unlike herself- standing on the doorway. (Well, her Doctor had told her to wait, and to not wander off, no matter how familiar it all looked, hadn't he?) Rose –the young one- finally spoke.

"Doctor? Is that…?" she asked, pointing to the Doctor standing in front of her.

"Me," he said, sighing. His brow had never been that frowned.

The Doctor standing outside the old TARDIS smiled, and said, "Yes, I am. And don't I look handsome in this cool bowtie? Ties are so last year."

To his astonishment, both Roses laughed at his joke. His grin got even wider.

"Doctor?" young Rose said.

"Yes?" said both Doctors in unison.

"Gosh, this is going to get quite confusing. How about this? You," old Rose said, pointing at the Doctor in front of her, "are in your tenth regeneration, so we'll call you Ten. And you," she told the Doctor beside her, "you we'll call Eleven. All right?"

"Brilliant," said both Doctors again. The girls laughed.

Eleven turned his head to his Rose, and said, "And what about you? It feels wrong to think of you," he looked at the other Rose and back to the one standing in front of him, "as anything other than _Rose._"

"Just what I was thinking," said Ten, frowning.

"I know," said Eleven, grinning.

"Just call us Rose. We'll know who you're referring to."

"But is it safe to come out?" asked young Rose.

"I believe it is, since the TARDIS seems to be well enough. At least, it looks she's not blowing up in the air any time soon."

"Well, I belong in this timeline, so it won't do anything to me," said Jack, walking out of the old TARDIS and into the new one. "Rose! You look different!" he said, as he gave her a massive hug that lifted her up in the air.

Rose shrieked in surprise and hugged Jack back. "Don't you look more dashing than ever," she said.

"I get more handsome every day," he said, smiling and lifting his chin up to make his point.

Eleven looked pointedly at him. He seemed to be struggling with words. At last, he put his hand on Jack's shoulder and squeezed tight. Jack gave him a hug too, but this one was more reserved. They both knew what the other was trying to say without having to actually speak.

"You're welcome, man," Jack finally said out loud. "It was my pleasure."

Ten and Rose were still on the inside of the old TARDIS, neither looking like they were coming out of there any time soon.

Old Rose spoke. "Doctor, don't you think it's all right for them to come out? I mean, like you said, the TARDIS looks fine."

"Yeah, I think you're right," said Ten. "It seems we have a minute before we have to go." He looked at his Rose, who was now glowing with excitement.

"Can we go out, then?" she asked him.

"Yes, I think we can."

Young Rose grinned and ran out of the old TARDIS, towards her future self and the Doctor with her hands outstretched, but before she could touch either of them, she suddenly stopped.

"Best not to touch ourselves, isn't it? Because of the paradox thing?" she said.

"Rose, the cleverest girl alive, always asking the right questions," Eleven said. He walked up to her, smiling. The longing in his eyes was evident, his smile communicating more than anything he could say to her. It felt strange having her back, standing so close to her, after all that had happened between them. He felt like hugging her, but thought it wouldn't be fair to his new Rose, or to himself, in the past. So he merely limited himself to stand there, marvelling in her mere presence.

Rose smiled up at him, and then looked at her older self.

"I don't look much older than I am now. Does that mean you'll regenerate soon?" she asked Ten.

Behind her, Ten was looking at the scene playing in front of him with sorrow in his eyes. He wasn't supposed to know when his next regeneration would be, Eleven thought. Even he didn't want to know how long this regeneration would last. It meant he was one step closer to the end of his adventure, and quite frankly, he thought he'd live forever, always aboard his TARDIS, travelling through the universe and learning everything and knowing everyone he could.

"Not very soon," Eleven told her. "But yes, I'll change in time. As will you. As everything changes."

"But, must you? Can't we stop it from happening, like you stopped me from going into the Void?"

"Regenerations are fixed points in time, Rose," Ten put in. "You know what that means. No way to change things."

"Look at it this way, Rose," old Rose said. "At least, we still have him in the future. A slightly different version of our Doctor, but ours nonetheless."

The storage room's lights were suddenly all on at the same time, beeping noises coming from the console room. The TARDIS started shaking, making its characteristic sound: it was travelling.

"How can it be?" Ten said, running forward.

"I've no idea," said Eleven.

All five of them ran through the hallways, turning corners until they reached the console room. Ten looked dumbfounded, having stopped mid-stride when he saw how changed his TARDIS looked.

"Ah, the changes, yes. You'll get to that on your own time, no time to explain," Eleven said. He was already pulling levers. "Mind giving me a hand?"

As they got to work, Jack and both Roses grabbed on to the railings –Jack in between them, to keep them from accidentally touching each other.

"How is she travelling by herself? She shouldn't have the strength, not with my TARDIS stuck inside of her storage room!" Ten shouted.

"It must be Amy and Rory! They must be in trouble!" old Rose yelled.

"Who?"

"You'll meet them in your future!"

Both Doctors ran to the screen and read the description that showed up. Sure enough, the TARDIS was heading to Earth.

With a _bump_ and break, the TARDIS landed safely, and everyone sighed in relief. Ten was still at the console, trying to make sense of what was happening; young Rose walked to his side and gave him a one-armed hug.

Eleven was clearly shocked as well; he couldn't remember his TARDIS travelling of her own free will in a very, very long time. But, why had she travelled there? Were Amy and Rory really in trouble?

Every head turned to the door as it swung open: it had been swung forward with such force, that it had crashed against the wall and rebounded back to place. A male figure ran up the steps, and the Doctor knew exactly who it was, even though his face was covered in shadows.

As Rory's face came into view, the Doctor knew just by looking at him that something was off.

"Where's Amy?" Rory shouted at him. "Is she here?"

"Amy?" said the Doctor, evidently shaken. He honestly did not know who to answer him, his thought were a jumbled mess right now.

"Rory," said old Rose, walking forward, "what do you mean? I thought she was with you?"

"She was, but then one night she didn't come home, and this thing started making this noise, and…" he lifted his hand to show a sonic device to the lot, but his eyes didn't leave Eleven's. "She disintegrated, Doctor."

Words failed to come to him; the Doctor could see him struggling not to break down in front of them.

"What does that mean?" he said, letting out a wail.

**A/N: I honestly can't believe how many people have been reading/adding this story to their Favs and Alerts! I'm overwhelmed, people. I simple started this as a challenge, and it's turning out to be exactly that, but what a nice thing it is to have so many people liking what you write. Thank you all! Xo, Ella**


	6. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who; but if I did, I'd have done something different with the 2011 Christmas Special. **

**Chapter Five**

Upon seeing young Rose, Rory froze. His jaw hung open like a fish, his train of thought lost as his gaze went from one Rose to the other. Then he seemed to notice someone else standing a little behind Rose. He began to stammer something, until he said, "It's you," pointing to Ten. "I know you." How this man could be here, Rory did not know. But anything was possible when you knew the Doctor.

Ten could do nothing more than look confused. But it _was_ him, Rory was sure of it.

"What'd you mean, you know him?" Eleven said. "You can't _know_ him; I wasn't that person when I met you."

_What was the Doctor on about?_

"What? No, he's the one who gave me this." Rory lifted the sonic device in his hand for everyone to see. "He told me to always keep it on me, that I'd need it one day. You said," he told Ten, "to be vigilant. That one day the device would start beeping, and that it would mean something bad was going to happen. Well, you were right."

His shoulders sagged, his eyes shining with unshed tears as he looked back at Eleven. Rory let out a sigh before saying, "Amy's gone."

She was gone, and he hadn't been able to protect her. _Two thousand_ years he'd guarded her, and now she was gone. There'd been a hole in his chest as he'd looked down at what Amy had been –a puddle of goo on his kitchen floor-, until he remembered something. The key. The TARDIS key the Doctor had given them in case of an emergency. He could bring the TARDIS home and with the Doctor's help they'd be able to save Amy.

Because he had to save her, he couldn't –_wouldn't_- live without her.

Eleven paced back and forth in the console room, feeling everyone's stares on him. He decided talking to his former self would help, and walked over to him; he gestured for Ten to follow him to the kitchen, so they could talk without being overheard.

"What's happening? I honestly don't know this man," Ten whispered.

"I know, I'm thinking you'll get out of here and go to give him that thing he's carrying. It definitely looks like something I started making a few weeks ago."

"Perhaps you'll finish it now, and I'll take it to him. But what's that about Amy disintegrating?"

Ten looked positively troubled: even though he didn't know Amy and Rory yet, Eleven knew he'd do everything he could to help them. It was in his nature.

Their hands roamed their hair, rubbing their skulls, trying to think of something to explain what was going on.

"I've always known being with me was a danger to others, but I just hate the idea of being on my own," said Eleven.

"Is that why you saved Rose?"

"No. Ah- maybe. Not being with her for two years… it was the hardest thing I've ever gone through. I love her, and I'd never told her. Now I get to tell her every day."

Ten sighed as he processed what Eleven was telling him –that Rose had been lost for years- and felt a deep pang of grief for his future regeneration, because he'd never know what it would feel like not to have her around, unlike Eleven, who'd suffered so much from her loss.

Suddenly, Eleven looked up.

"I knew that leaving them on their own would expose them to a lot of threats, that's why I gave Amy a key to the TARDIS, so they could call it if they needed to," he started. It looked like he was on a roll. "And if Amy disintegrated," –he started pacing again- "it must mean that it was a fake Amy taking her place, and that the real Amy is out there somewhere. So, not all is lost!"

"Brilliant!" Ten said. "Now we need to fix that sonic device, figure out a way for me and Rose to leave your TARDIS, so we can give it Rory."

Both of their faces were alight with joy, and although they would have loved to keep on chatting, they ran back to the console room, and told everyone what they'd discovered.

Then, Eleven started finishing the sonic, and Ten ran back to his TARDIS and tried to make her cooperate.

In the meantime, old Rose took Rory to the kitchen and started making him some tea. Young Rose followed.

She sat in front of him and said nothing, for she didn't know what to say. She'd almost lost the man she loved, and could not imagine what Rory must have been going through.

He continued to look at her with a puzzled expression on his face, making her blush by the way he stared at her.

"Here, this should make you feel better," old Rose said to Rory, handing him a big cup of hot tea. She sat beside him, to avoid touching young Rose. "We just got it from the Quiet Islands, on planet Brillia. Whenever the Doctor gets anxious, I give him a cup. And then he sleeps like a baby."

"And what about you? Aren't you gonna tell me what's going on with you two? And the man who gave me the device, who is he?"

"That's the Doctor, but on his former regeneration."

Rory spat the tea he'd been drinking. "He's what?" he said. Rose looked as calm as ever, and it made Rory think it really wasn't a joke.

"And this is me, but a couple of years in the past."

Young Rose just sat there, waiting. Rory's jaw hung open and remained so for a while, before he said, "You're not joking, are you? This is actually happening: Amy's turned to goo, there're two Doctors, two Roses… now you're gonna tell me there're two TARDISes, right?" He started shaking his head, not really believing what he was hearing.

"Right," said young Rose. It was obvious to her that they'd help him somehow, Ten and her, because he seemed to know him. "So, you've met my Doctor before. Was he wearing the same clothes as he is wearing now?"

Rory looked up; both Roses seemed to be thinking the same thing, their faces were like a mirror, one real, the other a reflection.

"Actually," he said, "yeah, he was. What does that mean?"

"It means we'll go and give your past self the device you just brought with you."

"And Amy? Will you help me find her too?"

"Of course," said old Rose. Her hand squeezed Rory's arm; he looked down and sighed. "We will, the Doctor and Rose you know."

That seemed to do it, along with the tea Rose had given him; Rory suddenly relaxed; his eyes, tired and red from the tears, started closing of their own free will. Rose grabbed his arm and yanked him up.

"Let's go, big boy. Let me take you to bed."

"D'you want me to help you?" young Rose said.

Old Rose thought about it for a second, while Rory collapsed on the spot. "OK," she said, "but careful. We can't afford the risk of causing a paradox right now."

"Yeah," young Rose said. "Come on. Lead the way."

"Got it!" Eleven shouted at the ceiling. He turned around to find himself alone. "Oh, well, that's rubbish." But his eyes sparkled with glee; at last he'd made it, the device he'd been playing with for months now actually had a purpose. It was simple enough to handle, so Rory should be all right with it.

"Got what?" Rose said from behind him. She snaked her arms around him, and he inhaled her scent, loving her more than ever before in that one moment. He even forgot what he'd been doing before, just basking in her presence.

"The- um… the sonic thingy. I fixed it!" he said, showing it to her.

"Well, that's great! And the other you should be getting here…" she said, as she turned on the spot.

"I did it!" shouted Ten from across the room.

"Now," finished Rose.

Ten ran up the steps to the centre of the console, grinning like he'd won the Intergalactic Lottery.

"I managed to find a way out here, but the TARDIS won't hold on to the vortex for much longer. We have to go now or risk being trapped here forever."

Young Rose appeared behind him, she was quite unsure of what to say. What did you say to yourself in situations like these anyway? So she merely waited for her Doctor to lead the way.

"That is brilliant news, because I have just finished fixing the sonic device," said Eleven. He handed it to Rose, who twirled in her hands. "Now, these are the coordinates to Amy and Rory's house." He gave her a small blue disc, which she handed to the Doctor. When there was nothing more to say, they all stood there looking at each other, until old Rose said, "Isn't the vortex closing for you, Doctor?"

That made him jump right back to action. "Ah, yes! We must really be going. Rose…" and he made a small gesture to the storage room, where their TARDIS was parked.

Old Rose followed him.

She walked beside him to where the TARDIS stood, and looked at it longingly. Sighing, she closed the distance between them and gave the Doctor a small, sweet kiss. Like every kiss she shared with her Doctor, it left her tingling and her mind swirling with ideas that to some would be too far fetched, but to her and her Doctor were just normal thoughts.

"I know you'll be nice to her," she said, and he laughed (of course she'd know!), "but I did want to tell you this: let her in. Don't keep pushing her away. You almost lost me, but you decided to change that knowing it would have a high price to pay. I only ask that you are honest and open to me, as I've always been to you."

He sighed and rested his forehead on hers. "My dear Rose, how clever you are. Now that I've got a second chance with you, I won't waste it, I promise."

"I know you'll keep that promise. And remember, I'm stronger than you think."

They both smiled at that, and finally, the Doctor stepped into the TARDIS and Rose walked back to the console, where her other Doctor would be talking to her right now.

Eleven looked into Rose's eyes and felt all his love for her expand throughout the universe. He wanted to be one with her, and soon they would be. She walked closer to him, maybe sensing all this coming out of him, and hugged him fiercely. He returned the hug with the same force.

"Thank you," he heard her say. "For coming back for me." She looked up into his eyes and he saw all his love reflected in hers. She was truly the one for him.

"It was nothing."

"It was nice meeting you, but I think I have to live with the other you a bit more first. And then get to know you again."

"Yeah." He smiled.

"I think you should stop regenerating so often. I do love you, but do you know how difficult if is for me to get used to the idea that your face is different? When you changed last, in the beginning I half expected to see your baldy head sometimes, and then I saw you were this scrawny bloke with crazy hair, and I remembered you'd changed," she said. But the only thing he registered was, "_I do love you_." She'd told _him_ –not Ten- that she loved him. It really didn't matter what he looked like to her, she loved him, his essence, no matter what. And that stirred something deep inside him.

He kissed her passionately, and left a burning feeling in her lips, a feeling that travelled down inside her right to her centre. She could feel him there, and it was the strangest thing. It left her breathless.

The TARDIS started humming, making them come out of their stupor. Old Rose was coming up the stairs, so the Doctor quickly –but gently- released young Rose. As she came up the stairs, Eleven started distinguishing a faint –and growing- glow about her. She was ravishing.

"I think you're wanted somewhere else, Rose."

"Yeah, I should get going," she said, but she was still too dazed from her kiss with the Doctor to be able to form any coherent sentence. With a simple wave, she turned and walked away, to her Doctor and their TARDIS, and their future ahead.

Once she was out of sight and earshot, Eleven turned on his heels and faced his Rose, who now fully glowed. Her life force was visible all around her, when it shouldn't have been able for him to see it like that. The edges of her mind touched his, and a thought occurred to him.

"Could it-" he started. "Nah, it couldn't, could it? Are you…?"

But she didn't let him finish, she simply smiled and rounded his neck with her arms, planting a kiss on his lips.

The Doctor rounded her waist with his own hands, pulling her closer.

They knew they'd always be together, but right then, Amy and Rory depended on them, and they couldn't let them down.

**A/N: Reviews make my day! Thanks for reading; I've gained a bunch of new readers with this story! I want to write some one-shots, but I don't know what about. So you tell me! They'll be my gift to you. **

**Xo, Ella**


	7. Author's Note

A/N: I keep getting PM's and follows on this story, and it shocks me still. I love that you love this! Thing is, I'm not feeling the Doc/Rose love at this particular moment, so you're gonna have to bear with me for a little while longer, but I promise I'll come back to it soon.

For those wondering why Rose was glowing in the last chapter, well, you'll see ;)

Also, I'm gonna start using my LJ account, so if you're there, feel welcome to friend me.

xoxo, Ella


End file.
